Rotary flame spreader annular retort oil burner



Jan. 29, 1935. r F. MARION 1,989,655

ROTARY FLAME SPREADER ANNULAR RETORT OIL BURNER Filed Nov. 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 1 H? INVENTOR'.

flank- Marion,

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 29, 1935. MARION 1,989,655

ROTARY FLAME SPREADER ANNULAR RETORT OIL BURNER FiledNov. 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fr'zmk Mar/ion,

ATTORNEY,

INVENTOR:

Patented Jan. 29,1935

ROTARY FLALIE SPREADER RETORT OIL BURNER.

Frank Marion, St. Johnsbury, Vt.; Eda Cousens,

Boston, Mass., deceased executrix of said'Frank Marion,

Application November 23, 1931, Serial No. 576,881 1 Claim. "(01. 158-91) The invention has for an object to efiect improvements in oil burners adapted to general use, and especially suitable for use where a rotary mechanical flame spreader is required. It is valuable in conjunction with fire boxes having Water pasages in the walls thereof, though it may be used elsewhere as well.

Another important object of the invention is to coordinate a rotary mechanical flame spreader and fuel vaporizing retort in a novel relation whereby the rotary impeller becomes a part of the burner, and not merely a flame spreader, contributing to the efdciency of combustion by functioning in a new way.

It is an aim to eliminate the need for a casing around the impeller, and to make it possible to utilize a simple construction of impeller directly in the flame without liability of burning of the impeller (even if not of special alloy) or of excessive heating of parts.

An important object of the invention is to induce an especially efficient vaporization action in the device, and produce novel mixing and flame-form efiects contributing greatly to the efllciency of heat generation and of heat transference. Another object of great value is to enable the attainment of the advantages of the mechanical flame spreader and forced draft while utilizing the simplest form of burner construction otherwise whereby a very inexpensive gravityfeed fuel supply liquid retort burner construction may be employed.

1 Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction,arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the invention, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the complete burner and operating devices.

Figure 2 is a top view of the impeller. Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. a Figure 4- is a horizontal section through the impeller midway of the blades, on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan of the impeller.

There, is illustrated a burner comprising a base 10, which may be variously formed to suit requirements of difierent furnaces, and in the present instance is formed with a motor footing 11 at the outer end adapted to sit upon a floor and a burner footing 12 to sit in an ash pit, the footone arm of the blank for ings 11 and 12 being connected by a raised inter-,

mediate section 13 adapted to extend clear over the ash pit sill. v

In the burner foot there is set a standard 14 the upper end of which is set in a socket 15 integrally formed on the lower side of an annular, cast, trough-like open retort burner body or bowl 16 (although more in shape like a saucer) having a deep narrow annular channel 17 or slot at the inner side concentric with the bowl, which receives fuel oil or the like'from a fuel supply pipe 18 engaged by a threaded joint in the bottom of the bowl,- a suitable fuel inlet opening 19 being. formed through the bowl to permit the fuel to enter the trough. The inner wall of the slot forms the boundary of the opening 19, and is extended to the same height as the lip of the bowl. Fuel may be supplied through the pipe 18 from any suitable source, the present instance involving what may be a gravity supply 20 and regulating valve 21 in the pipe 18, and an automatic valve 22 incorporatedat'a suitable location, which,may be thermostatically controlled in any usual way.

The burner body is also fitted with a drain pipe 23 leading from an outlet or drain opening 24 in the burner at a higher level than the fuel inlet opening 19, this opening 24 and the drain pipe being also larger than the inlet opening and fuel supply pipe. The outer end of the drain pipe leads downward to an automatic safety cut-off including an operating bucket 25, so that when the latter is filled by oil draining from the burner, the bucket with its content operates the cut-off, as is well understood in the art. The pipe 23 has a loop or dip 24 therein, whereby oil may stand therein in sufiicient quantity to form a trap to prevent air from entering through the pipe. The cut-01f mayinclude both the valve 22 and a switch 22' in the circuit to a motor 26, the valve; switch and circuits not being illustrated in detail, since they are familiar in the art. The

' automatic cut-ofi devices and the operating bucket 25 are all mounted longitudinally outward of the motor on the foot 11 of the motor. Onthe standard 14 an extension 27 is formedhaving a horizontal step or ledge 28 on which there is formed a bearing 29 supporting the outer end of the motor shaft 30 which is of considerable length in order that the motor may be without the ash pit while the shaft drives the flame spreader in the furnace.

On the extension 27 there is also a bearing 31 in which there is set a vertical impeller shaft 32. The annular burner 16 has a very large central opening orair port 33 therethrough formed by the inner wall of the channel 17, and across the opening there is arm 34 integral with the burner,

in which arm a bearing is formed concentric with the burner, supporting the impeller shaft 32. A, worm member 35 is mounted on the motor shaft engaged with and driving a worm gear 36 on the impeiler shaft, so that the latter may be drivenat proper speeds by the motor 26.

On the upper extremity of the shaft 32 there is fixed aniinpeller 3'7 having a series of blaries 38 movable'on the shaft as a center over the annular bowl 16. The body of'the impeller isiocated well above the burner 16, but the blades thereof are projected downwardly and have lower edges located closely adjacent the piane of thetop edges of the bowl. The inner edgesof the vanes are spaced radially beyond the outer side of the channel 17, leaving a space between the vanes and inner wall of the channel through which air may pass freely downward into the" bowl. This impeller is stamped integrally from sheet material, though it may have a hub piece 39 fixed therewith, if desired.

The blank of the impeller as stamped in the fiat appears as a 40 with a series of radial strips or arms at the ends of which are lateralextensions comprising approximately rectangular blade plates 38 projecting all in the same direction. These plates and arms appear substantially like flags iull spread from their stairs. The arm portions and disc form a spider, and the arms are broadened sufilciently so that one half,

42, may be turned downward at right angles to the other half 43, forming a stiffening flange, the blade forming a continuation of this inturned flange half and being turned at the same time and the same degree so that it is at right angles to the plane of the spider. The part 43 or arm proper may stop short of the extreme outer or peripherai edge 44 of the blade es, and the part of the blade outwardly of this extremity is .curved reversely with-respect to the direction of rotation of the impeller. This curvature is greater at the upper part than at the lower part, whereby air drawn and impeiled outward across the burner 16 is caused to sweep low'over the trough, and a comparatively nigh vacuous condition is produced over the troush. and particularly over thechannel 17, whereby vaporization of fuel at lower temperatures than is accomplished.

The plate or disc portion of the spider may be stifiened or reinforcedxas desired and secured to the upper end of the shaft 32 in any approved manner. In the present instance a thicker plate or hub piece 39 is secured thereto receiving the shaft, which is pinned therein.

In use, the parts being assembled as described, the hand valve 21 is opened, a piece of oil-saturated waste is laid in the channel 17 and ignited. and after a short period sufficient to heat the burner body 16,'the switch to the electrical circult is closed and the automatic fuel valve opened,

the bucket device 25 being set-in burner-operating position. Fuel reaching the burner now will be vaporized and the vapor ignited by propagation of the flame after admixture with air from the port 33. The rapid movement of the impeller I causes a rapid horizontal radial movement of air across the channel 17 and also draws away from the trough the vapor forming, so rapidly that a partial vacuum is formed throughout the channel, enhancing the vaporization of the feel, as will be understood due to lowering of atmospheric pressure thereon. Furthermore, the vanes passing along the channel, and if desired, projecting downwardly thereinto short of the drain level,

assasss create whorls and gyrationsof the air and vapor which contribute to efi'ective mixture thereof and efficient combustion. At the same time the fieme to the production of the vacuous effect over the channel 1'7, and as the air sweeps outward it is in contact with the spider 40-=41 and upper parts of the blades 38. This is a reason for the inversion of the impeller. The lower one-third parts of the blades are found to operate in the flame propagating toward the axis of the bowl (although, due to outward movement of air with great rapidity, the flame (may not reach entirely across the bowl), and the air passing over this flame is heated before admixture with the vaporized fuel so that a highly inflammable mixture is produced.

The instailation of the burner is accomplished by setting up the foot 12 on the floor of the ash pit of a furnace or air'chamber having a corresponding location, and a floor 50 of refractory maierial'is formed on a level with the burner,

and meeting snugly therewith below the outward- Lv sioping side 16' of the bowl, this floor being airtight and being extended flush to the sides of I er, so,that the flreshine may be manifesttherefrom uponthe surfaces of the fire-box or combustion chamber, and, it also serves to heat air entering the ash pit or air chamber.

The effect of this heating of air is to enable the heated air to pass directly to the port 33 through the burner, and thence outward across the channel 1'! across the door 50.

In the outer end portion of the drain pipe 23, a portion of steel wool 23', mineral wool or other fibrous material may be introduced, if desired, to prevent ingress of vermin and also to retard entrance of air if no oil is in the trap 24' of the pipe. The saucer-like outer side 16' of the bowl forms a broedened continuation of the channel 17 so that fuei oil may spread over the lower part beyond the channel 17 in a very shallow pool or film, enafoling its ready vaporization.

an auxiliary safety drain device 51 is provided, consisting of a T fitting 52 connected in the fuel feed pipe 18, from which a stand pipe 53 is extended upward to a return fitting 54 having a vent opening 55 in its upper side; A drain pipe 56 leads from the return fitting to a point over the bucket 25, so that in case the pipe 24' becomes clogged, the oil will overflow through the fitting '54 and drain pipe 56. The vent 55 prevents impeller including vanes extending downwardly from said spider to adjacent the top of said wall and bowl and spaced radially beyond the said channel, whereby a space without bounding wall is formed within the impeller over and around 5 the air inlet.

FRANK MARION. 

